1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a turning direction indicator which indicates the turning direction of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, some of operation levers for mechanically turning ON/OFF a turn signal switch include a self-canceling mechanism. In an operation lever having a self-canceling mechanism, when a steering wheel is rotated, the operation lever is returned to a neutral (N) position. Specifically, a cancel cam which is rotatably supported on a steering shaft is rotated following the rotation of the steering wheel, and a cancel pin is rotated. Then, the cancel pin drives a ratchet is attached to a rotatable shaft, and the operation lever is returned from a right turn (R) position or a left turn (L) position to the N position.
Also some of operation levers for turning ON and OFF a turn signal switch in an electronic control manner are of a self-canceling type. In the case of an operation lever of this type, the cancellation timing is identical with that in an operation lever which mechanically operates a turn signal switch.
Among turn signal switches, there are those in which an arbitrary steering angle is detected by a steering angle sensor or the like, and a signal is output. In a momentary type turn signal switch which is switched ON during a period when the switch is operated by an operation lever, a technique in which a turn signal is turned OFF by an electronic control is known.
JP-A-H06-032170 describes the prior art of this type. JP-A-H06-032170 discloses a technique in which a delay operation of maintaining lighting states of a turning indicator and a cornering lamp is performed for several seconds after an operation switch is returned from the operation state to the neutral point. JP-A-H06-032170 further discloses that, when the operation switch is returned by a driver's operation, the delay operation is inhibited.
JP-A-2010-201982 discloses a turn signal device in which, after lighting of a turn signal is performed, monitors the degree of a temporal change of the rotational direction of a steering wheel. When it is detected that, after the steering wheel is once rotated in the direction indicated by a turn signal, the steering wheel is rotated in the opposite direction, and then rotated in the direction indicated by the turn signal, the turn signal device turns OFF the turn signal.
JP-A-2006-117047 discloses a turn direction indicating device in which, when a lever is swung to a middle position B or D, the lever is automatically returned to a neutral position A, and a driving signal is supplied to a lighting device for a predetermined time period. In the turn direction indicating device, in the case of a lane change or the like, a turn signal lamp blinks only for the predetermined time period.
JP-B-4793312 discloses a configuration where, when a lever is swung to a neutral position, a lighting device performs a blinking operation, and stops the operation after a predetermined number of blinking intervals. According to the configuration, even when the hand is immediately released from the lever to cause the lever to be automatically returned to the neutral position, the blinking operation is surely performed.